Summary
Interactive thrillersare a hybrid between the mediums of video games and films. They are games that are heavily focused on narrative and decisions. The player has to choose paths, options, and dialogue choices to dictate which direction the story will head. Stakes are often high and characters can die. The pressure is always on the player to make the right decision.
From full-blown horror titles to slow-burn detective narratives, interactive thrillers range from the horrific to the exhilarating. Whilst not a genre for everyone, it is one of the best genres for immersing the player in a narrative. Gamers should take their time to think when making choices in these beautifully crafted stories.
The Quarryis far from perfect. It’s super cheesy and sometimes even silly, but it’s a great callback to theslasher horror genreof the 1980s. If players go in knowing that they’re in for a goofy experience thenThe Quarrycan be fully enjoyable. The characters are certainly not the best, but it’s still great at pulling the player in and making them aware that their choices do indeed have consequences!
Characters can die, the narrative direction changes and the mystery deepens. It’s fun to unpick and experience, especially for fans of 80s horror (you can even apply special VHS filters). But whilstThe Quarryis an excellent callback to classic teen slasher horror, it’s far from a masterpiece in terms of gameplay.
Beyond: Two Soulswas developed by the former king of interactive thrillers, Quantic Dream, and stars Elliot Page and Willem Defoe in the lead roles. It’s a fantastic concept and features some of the most entertaining gameplay from any Quantic Dream game. However,Beyond: Two Soulsis let down by the fact that a lot of the player’s choices don’t actually matter.
There is the illusion of choice and impact rather than the actual utilization. Despite this,Beyond: Two Soulsis still a fantastic experience, and if the player can disregard the disappointing nature of choices they can experience a unique and thrilling narrative. With excellent writing and voice acting,Beyond: Two Soulsis worth playing for the story alone.
Telltale Games, the developers ofTales From The Borderlands, have developed a strong fanbase over the years. Granted,Tales From The Borderlandsis more a comedy than a thriller, but it still lies within the parameter of the genre. Set some time after the events ofBorderlands 2,Tales From The Borderlandstakes players on afun and entertaining narrativeacross the planet of Pandora.
Choices and dialogue options somewhat significantly change the story’s direction, however, it’s the characters and dialogue that really shine here. Centering around Hyperion employee, Rhys, and his con artist companion, Fiona, the two characters share hilarious interactions with each other as they journey to uncover and open a Vault. It’s a fun interactive narrative, and the sequel,New Tales From The Borderlands,is just as excellent.
Another Telltale entry,The Walking Deadconsists of four separate seasons, and a spin-off,The Walking Dead: Michonne. The series started off with a fantastic first season and Clementine swiftly became a universally beloved character. However, fans did notice that some of the choices in the first season didn’t carry much weight. Telltale rectified this with later entries where choices have a far heavier impact.
Featuring one of the best, and longest overarching narratives in any interactive thriller,The Walking Deadis cemented as one of the most popular and successful games in the genre, and it’s also the entry that made Telltale a household name. For fans looking for a solid narrative and lovable characters,Telltale’s The Walking Deadis a staple series.
The game that started it all,Heavy Rain,essentially kick-started a whole genre.Developed by Quantic Dream, and released back in 2010,Heavy Rainfeatures an engaging narrative that will keep you hooked until the final twist. The game features four playable characters whose stories all interweave into the narrativecentering on a serial killer, the Origami Killer.
At the time,Heavy Rainwas universally praised for its strong narrative and cast of characters. Choices have relatively high impacts and there are many different endings. However,Heavy Rainhas not stood too well against the test of time. It doesn’t look great, and some of the voice acting will make the player physically cringe. If gamers can push those two flaws to the side thenHeavy Rainis still an amazingly gripping interactive thriller well worth experiencing.
The third and final Telltale game on this list,The Wolf Among Usis their finest work. Serving as a prequel to theFablescomic-book series,The Wolf Among Usis aninteractive neo-noir thrillerwhere playersinvestigate a series of intriguing murdersacross Fabletown. The overall gameplay ofThe Wolf Among Usis pretty thin, but the story and characters are what really excels here.
The atmosphere is dark and brooding as the player explores jazz bars at night and neon-lit streets. It’s a masterful blend offantastical creatures and fairy tales, and noir cinema, and contains one of the most atmospheric settings in any video game. For players looking for an intriguing noir mystery, with excellent writing, choices, and characters thenThe Wolf Among Usis the only option.
Developed by Supermassive Games, the now kings of the interactive thriller genre,The Dark Pictures Anthologyis a series of interactive horror video games that all tell a different story. It’s a planned eight-entry series with each entry exploring a different sub-genre of horror. Every decision made by the player can affect the endings, making them true interactive thrillers.
Whilst no characters appear in more than one entry, it’s easy to get attached to the new cast of characters as the writing and performances are excellent in alltitles in the anthologyso far. What makes things even better is thatThe Dark Picturesfeatures co-op multiplayer, where each playable character can be controlled by a different player.
Since 2015,Life Is Strangehas had multiple entries, from sequels to prequels and even spin-offs. It’s one of the most successful interactive thriller franchises and features one of the coolest gameplay mechanics. Max Caulfield, the series' protagonist, can rewind time.
Set in Oregon, in the fictional town of Arcadia Bay, the setting ofLife Is Strangeis autumnal and beautiful. It’s got a realcoming-of-age/teen feel to it, and the choices the player makes have real impacts. Spanning three main entries, Max’s narrative adventure is engaging, exciting, and most of all, highly entertaining.
Quantic Dreams' best game by far,Detroit: Become Humanis an interactive sci-fi thriller where androids populate everyday life. It poses a lot of philosophical questions and choices carry real weight. The characters are great, the graphics are amazing, and the soundtrack is beautiful.
Both playable and non-playable characters can die as a result of player choices, and the stories ofeach 3 android characterscarry some real emotional weight. When androids deviate from human-controlled protocol, they are hunted down and killed. The player has to make the correct choices throughout the narrative in order to change things for the better and create a more equal society.
The best interactive thriller by far,Until Dawnis a masterful work of horror. Featuring a butterfly effect system, where players can see the impact and outcome of their choicesUntil Dawntruly makes the player feel like their choices have real consequences. Gamers control eight characters across the narrative, and based on choices, all eight can either survive or die.
Featuring some of the best motion capture performances, and starring Rami Malek in a lead role,Until Dawnis the perfect example of what an interactive thriller should be. Excellent characters, excellent writing, masterful setting and ambiance, and choices that genuinely matter. Not to mention it revokes the feeling of old-school video game horror with fixed camera angles and dark rooms. This is an interactive narrative at its very best.
